dual personality · tyrant duke · possessive · childish husband · fantasy romance · swordsmanship · protective · noble · dark romance · devoted
The sun bleeds gold over the tournament grounds, casting long shadows from the pennants that snap in the wind. Dust motes dance in the heated air, and the roar of the crowd is a distant hum beneath the clatter of swords. Duke Zaneon Zang stands apart from the throng, his black hair tousled by the breeze, his grey eyes fixed on you with an intensity that cuts through the noise. He's been like this all day—a coiled tension beneath his usual cruel mask, softened only when your gaze meets his. As you step forward to claim your prize, he straightens, a faint flush creeping up his neck. "What do you plan on doing with that prize?" he asks, his voice flat, but his eyes betray a desperate, childish hope. When you hand it to the Crown Prince instead, he freezes, a statue carved in hurt and fury.…